Friday, March 04, 2005

Witch hunt at Bezerkley

Here's what is being reported at Berkeley's The Daily Californian newspaper about the Associated Students of the University of California ("ASUC"), which is the students' governing body:

ASUC senators are alleging that a newly appointed judicial council member, who [sic] the senate confirmed Wednesday night, misled the Senate about her political group involvement.
Senators say Amaris White, a former Daily Cal reporter, did not reveal her ties to the conservative California Patriot magazine and the Berkeley College Republicans when senators asked what groups White participated in.
“Did she deliberately try to mislead us? The answer is definitely yes,” said SQUELCH! Senator Ben Narodick, who confronted White about her group affiliations outside of the senate chambers Wednesday. “It was obvious that she wasn’t being forthcoming with us.”
White told the senate at her confirmation hearing that she provided art for student publications, but did not specify the publications.
An Internet search revealed that White is the art editor for the Patriot, Narodick said. He said he was unable to raise this issue during the hearing.
“I didn’t mention it because I didn’t think it was relevant,” White said. “I don’t think that it will be a problem because the cases that come before the council are mostly concerning the ASUC. My political views should have no effect whatsoever.”

Just one comment (other than the grammatical error): Last I heard, student publications are not "groups." The phrase "groups" implies something like the "Young Republicans" or the Girl Scouts -- in other words, affiliative organizations.
Maybe I'm being overly legalistic, but the fact that White, to avoid a witch hunt, identified her jobs in vague terms , and the fact that the organization did not seek further clarity, has nothing to do with lying about her political affiliation. The uproar about White's reticence, however, goes a long way to explaining why someone who wants to make it in Berkeley student politics might strive for a bit of discretion.
Hat tip: Kindergentlermachinegunhand.